The First
by kuropiece
Summary: It all started with a meeting at a florist shop and the new employee, Kuroko Tetsuya. This is my first series of Akakuro, so I hope you enjoy it! Rated M, just in case.
1. Chapter 1 - The First Meeting

"Kuroko-kun, can you please put these flowers outside for display, please?" The owner handed the bluenette a bouquet of white lilies. He headed outside, the large bouquet in hand.

"Ayato, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep running and not looking where you're going!" The man with the heterochromatic eyes warned, trying to keep up with the small redhead, who was just too fast for him.

"Daddy, daddy, look, I'm just like that really fast plane in that movie we watched! Nyaaaaaaaa!" The young redhead, continued to dart ahead, imitating a plane, when he suddenly collided into a person. He fell on his butt due to the impact.

"See? I told you to be careful! Are you alright?" Akashi helped his son up from the ground, brushing off any dirt that he saw visible. He then took notice of the person who Ayato had bumped into. The bluenette was on his knees, picking up the scattered lilies from the ground, one by one.

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry about that. Let me help you with that." The redhead started to pick up the flowers, gathering them up in a bunch, the bluenette doing the same. As soon as he was done, he handed them to the bluenette.

Kuroko looked up, picking up the last flower he spotted. He stood up, meeting those hetrochromatic eyes. Their hands touched a little just then as Kuroko reached for the bunch of flowers in Akashi's hand. They gazed at each other, their hands staying where they were for a moment. Suddenly, Kuroko felt a tug at his apron, so he looked down to meet the same heterochromatic eyes. The red haired boy held out a white lily, with a sad expression etched on his pale face.

"Um...I'm sorry for making you drop the flowers..." Ayato said, looking a little teary eyed, his cheeks flushing. Kuroko smiled a little, knowing the boy didn't intend to cause any trouble to him. He got down on eye level with the child. He took a hold of Ayato's hand.

"It's okay, it was just an accident." The smaller of the redheads sniffled as Kuroko squeezed his hand. The bluenette took the lily from his hand and stood back up.

"Let me pay for those, I will purchase them." Akashi suggested, reaching in his pocket for his wallet.

"Oh no, don't worry about that!" Kuroko said, shaking his head. "It's really alright!"

"No, no, I insist." Akashi was not going to take no for an answer. After all, he was absolute. Kuroko chuckled a little.

"Okay, but allow me to at least wash them. They seem to be a bit dirty." Kuroko complied. Akashi agreed and they went inside, Ayato tagging along behind them, holding his father's hand.

Akashi waited at the counter for Kuroko to come back with the flowers, when he heard his name being called.

"Sei-chan, how are you?" The owner asked, coming to the counter, a gleaming smile on her face. Akashi smiled back as he shook his head.

"I'm fine, Iori-san. How about you? You seem to be in a very pleasant mood today." Akashi said, noticing that the brown haired woman was all smiles, more than usual.

"It's that noticeable, huh?" She laughed. "Well, my husband said we're going out to dinner today, after a long time." She couldn't stop smiling, which made Akashi smile more too. He was happy for her, knowing that her husband usually had such a busy schedule.

"That's good to hear. I'm happy for you. I hope you have a wonderful date." Just then, Kuroko appeared again, with a clean bouquet of white lilies in hand.

"Oh, Sei-chan is here to buy flowers for his wife again?" The owner queried, as Kuroko reached the counter. The redhead shook his head, and spoke.

"No, we just had a little accident when we passed the shop." He said looking at his son, who was hiding behind him.

"Ayato-kun, nice to finally meet you! Sei-chan has been told me so much about you!" Iori greeted the little hetrochromatic boy. Ayato bowed shyly. "Ah, he's so cute!" She said chuckling.

"Urm...your flowers..." Kuroko said quietly, as to not to be rude. Akashi turned to look at the bluenette and remembered the reason he was inside the florist for.

"Ah! Sorry, how much will it be?" He asked.

"¥ 150." He replied. Akashi gave the money, taking the bouquet. "Thank you very much." The bluenette said, bowing down.

"Thank you for the lovely flowers." Akashi said, returning the gesture.

"I almost forgot to introduce him properly! This is Kuroko Tetsuya. He will be working here from here on." The middle aged owner informed. Kuroko bowed again.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Akashi Seijuurou. This is my son, Akashi Ayato." The redhead bowed as well. Ayato, still hid behind his father, having always been shy when meeting new people. Kuroko looked at Ayato, noticing his reluctance, he went towards him. He kneeled down so that they were both at eye level. He held out his hand.

"Hello, Ayato-kun. Nice to meet you." Hesitantly, the smaller redhead shook Kuroko's hand. Akashi smiled as he watched the two. The bluenette seemed to really know how to treat children.

"I'm really sorry about what happened before." The little boy started to get teary eyed again. Kuroko took Ayato's hand and squeezed it.

"I know it was an accident, so don't cry, okay?" Kuroko wiped his cheeks, the water just about to escape his red eyes. "Here." Kuroko opened the redhead's hand and placed a daisy on top.

"Thank you!" He said, a gleaming smile on his face now. "Daddy, look, look!" Jumping up and down with excitement. Akashi lifted his son up and smiled.

"Yes, yes. You love daisies, don't you, Ayato?" The heterochromatic male chuckled lightly. He turned to the bluenette, who was now standing again. "Thank you again." Kuroko bowed once again, a little red forming on his pale cheeks, making sure Akashi couldn't see it.

"Well, I should take my leave now. It was nice meeting you, Kuroko-kun. I'll see again, Iori-san." Akashi headed towards the front door, Ayato still in his arms.

"Come again soon, Sei-chan! You too, Ayato-kun!" The owner waved goodbye from the front door as the father and son exited. The son waved back happily, his eyes directed at the bluenette.

Kuroko waved back, smiling at the red haired child.

"Well then, Kuroko-kun, let's continue putting out the rest of the flowers needed on display." Kuroko nodded and went back inside to get some lavenders and hyacinths.

What Kuroko didn't notice was that, when he had gone back inside, a pair of heterochromatic eyes glancing back at his direction.

Akashi had noticed that flush on those pale cheeks, despite knowing that the bluenette was trying to hide it. He couldn't help but think it was cute to see him like that. He wondered what other adorable expressions the blue haired male had in store. He didn't exactly understand why but he wanted to know what about Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Daddy?" Ayato interrupted his train of thoughts, who had a confused expression plastered on his face. Akashi smiled and shook his head. He started walking, thinking that, if fate allowed it, they would surely meet again soon...


	2. Chapter 2 - Anniversary

It has been two weeks since their first meeting, and Akashi couldn't get Kuroko Tetsuya out of his mind. He wanted to see him again, but…how? They weren't exactly friends as of this moment that they would exchange numbers with each other. All kinds of questions popped up, which the redhead had no answer to.

Shaking the thoughts out of his mind, he collected his belongings, having completed all the necessary paperwork he needed to do. As he headed out of his office, a certain green head was also coming out of his. Midorima Shintarou noticed the heterochromatic make and bowed.

"Good work today, Shintarou." Akashi said, returning the gesture.

"You too, Akashi." Midorima said politely. Just then, he remembered that he needed to discuss some things about the Emperial Hotel with Akashi.

"That's right, before I forget, are you free this weekend? To discuss the issues of the Emperial?" the green eyed male inquired.

"Ah, yes, we do need to talk about that situation. I'm free, so let's meet at the Namikawa Restaurant as usual. Is tomorrow at 3pm alright for you?" The heterochromatic adult affirmed.

"That should be fine. I'll see you there then." Midorima confirmed. "Anyways, I'm going to take my leave now." Just as he was about to go ahead, Midorima heard his name being called from the front.

Akashi's eyes widened, as he recognised that familiar vanilla and honey scent – the scent of a certain bluenette. He followed the dark green haired male as the scent was coming from that direction.

When he finally reached the front, he saw Kuroko handing over a large bouquet of orange blossoms to Midorima. Midorima looked confused, asking who had sent them.

"He said his name was Takao Kazunari-san." Kuroko reached for his pocket and took out a small piece of paper, giving it to Midorima. "He told me to give this to you as well."

Reading the contents in the note, the usually serious Midorima was showcasing a furious hint of red on his cheeks.

_Shin-chan, Happy Anniversary! Hope you had a great day at work! Ah, this is not the actual present though. I'll give you the real one when you get home, so…come home soon! I'll be waiting~_

_PS. I love you 3  
__Takao_

"That idiot! Saying these embarrassing things so easily! If he's got the time for all this nonsense, then he should go and find a job. That useless idiot!" Akashi chuckled, as he watched his colleague get really flustered as he read the note. Takao Kazunari would often do these things, wanting to show just how much he loved Midorima, even to the public eye.

Just then, the green eyed male realised exactly where he was and became silent. He tried to fix his tie, as to pretend that nothing happened, though all the employees already knew. He cleared his throat, heading to the exit, still blushing furiously.

"I will take my leave also. Then." Kuroko bowed and headed for the exit too.

"Me too." Akashi also left, following behind the bluenette.

"I have to go this way, so…goodbye." A hint of red was clearly visible on his pale cheeks as Kuroko bid the heterochromatic male adieu.

"I have to as well." Akashi stated, as his car was in that direction. They both walked in silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Akashi, wanting to break the silence, spoke.

"So, Kuroko-san, how has your job at Iori-san's going?" He asked. Kuroko was slightly taken aback by the sudden question, but he answered.

"It's going quite well, I have to make sure to keep the flowers in good condition; to make sure they get enough sunlight, the right nutrients and such. It's actually really enjoyable." The bluenette replied, smiling.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad that you're liking it there." Akashi smiled, turning to Kuroko. That surprised Kuroko; he didn't know he could smile like that. He felt his cheeks burning up, and quickly turned away before Akashi noticed. But it was too late because Akashi had seen it. He smirked, enjoying the fact that he could make the bluenette blush so easily.

Akashi spotted his car and pressed the button to unlock it. He opened the door and placed his bag and coat at the back seat. He noticed that it was getting quite dark now; he felt that if he left the blue haired male on his own, it would be dangerous. He didn't fully understand yet as to why he wanted to protect the shorter male, but he felt as if he would regret it if he let Kuroko go right now.

"Will you allow me to drop you off at the shop?" Akashi asked.

"No, it's alright. I should be fine, but thank you for the offer." Kuroko refused, feeling hesitant to comply.

"Please, I insist. It's getting pretty dark now, I can't just leave you like that." Akashi said, wanting to stay with Kuroko for a little longer. Kuroko blushed again, and complied. Akashi allowed the bluenette inside, opening the front door. Kuroko got inside and thanked the redhead. Akashi closed the door and went round to the driver's seat. He turned the engine on, carefully turned the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator, leaving the gap he had parked his car in.

Akashi turned the steering wheel to the right manoeuvring the car around the bend, and continued driving straight, until he had to turn again. He kept on glancing at the blue haired male, making sure that he was alright and noticed that he seemed to be really conscious of him. He smirked and continued driving until they had finally reached the shop. The lights were still on inside, which probably meant that Iori was still inside.

Akashi stopped the car and let Kuroko step out of the passenger seat. He looked at Akashi.

"Urm…thank you, for dropping me off. Then." Kuroko said. Akashi smiled. Kuroko headed back inside the florist, closing the door behind him as he got in. Akashi turned the ignition and was just about the leave, when a sudden crash resounded from the shop.

_An intruder?_ He thought, an expression of worry etched on his face. He unfastened his seatbelt and stepped out of his car, rushing to the flower shop. When he got inside though, he saw that there was nothing to be worried about. Remains of a flower pot were scattered on the floor. The bluenette was there picking up the broken pieces, the shop owner giving a helping hand. The middle aged female took notice of Akashi and was surprised.

"Ara, Sei-chan, what happened? Is everything alright?" Iori-san asked, a worried expression on her face. Akashi let out a sigh of relief; he quickly jumped to conclusions there. He chuckled, thinking about how silly it was of him to be so worried. The brown haired woman just looked at him confused as to what was so funny. The blue eyed male did the same.

"Sorry about that. I heard a noise from outside, and just came to check if you were okay." The redhead was looking at Kuroko when he said this. Kuroko, surprised, looked down on the floor, a hint of red evident on his pale cheeks. This didn't go unnoticed by Iori-san, who just smiled, having figured out what was going on. Of course, this wouldn't go unnoticed by Akashi, who in return smirked at this. Sensing the tension between them, Iori-san spoke up.

"Kuroko-kun, why don't you escort Sei-chan back to his car?" She suggested, smiling widely. Kuroko was about to protest, but she stopped him. "I'll be fine, I've almost finished anyways." The brunette insisted. Kuroko nodded and walked out of the shop with Akashi after taking his apron off.

The shop owner picked up the last of the remains, putting them in the plastic bag and threw it away. She washed her hands in the sink, rubbing off the soil thoroughly. After wiping her hands on the hand towel, she removed her apron and started to get ready to leave.

She smiled to herself as she thought about the two men that were outside the shop. It was so clear that Akashi had taken a liking to the new employee, seeing as how worried he looked when he entered the shop a few moments earlier. She knew how much the heterochromatic eyed male had been grieving for his late wife when she passed away in a car accident 5 years ago. She was happy for him.

Through the shop window, she could see Kuroko and Akashi conversing with each other. She thought of how fitting they looked next to each other. Iori-san hoped that they would continue to encounter each other more in the future, seeing how happy Akashi looked. The bluenette looked happy too, she could see that. Maybe if she pushed them in the right direction, they would see each other more. As she pondered on this, Kuroko came back inside.

"Are you leaving now?" He asked, noticing that Iori-san had her coat on. She nodded. "Alright, I'll lock up once I'm done. Good work today." The blue haired male bowed and smiled as the brown haired female exited the shop. He blushed as he thought about Akashi. He wanted to see him again. Shaking the thoughts out of his mind, the bluenette collected his belongings and put his coat on as he exited the shop as well, locking the door securely. He put his hands in his pockets, the night wind blowing strongly on him. It was get dark so quickly now, since winter had started. The street lamps guided him as he headed home. His thoughts went back to the redhead again. If fate allowed it, they would certainly meet again.

"I'm home." The dark green haired adult called, entering the apartment. He took his shoes off and went into the living room. He couldn't see a thing at all.

_Why are the lights off?_ He thought as he switched them back on. Suddenly, he was tackled hardly resulting him to fall on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ow…" Rubbing the back of his head, he looked to the culprit. It was Takao. He always does the most ridiculous things. "Takao! Get off me, you idiot!" Midorima yelled as he sat up.

"Happy Anniversary, Shin-chan! Hehe." The male with the jet black haired said, a gleaming smile on his face. Midorima turned away, blushing furiously.

"H-Happy, Anniversary." It was difficult not to notice that tint of red that was showcasing on his lover's face. He could be such a tsundere at times, it was so cute.

"You're so cute, Shin-chan! Come on, don't look away~ I want to see your face." Takao chuckled as he pulled his lover's face so that they faced each other. Midorima's face was as red as a tomato. He leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. The green haired male kissed back, only more fiercely. He then flipped over, pinning Takao on the ground as he deepened their kiss further. Breaking away from the kiss, Midorima looked at his lover, who was blushing now.

"Shin-chan, I love you." Takao said smiling, making Midorima blush even more than he was. He couldn't take it anymore, he stood up and lifted his the black haired male from the floor. "Shin-chan?" He looked at the moss haired, an expression of longing etched on his face. Midorima carried him to their room, placing him on the bed.

He unbuttoned his shirt and removed it, discarding it on the floor. "It's a good thing you've got a day off tomorrow. I won't be going easy on you today." He unravelled the white bandaging off his fingers and crawled onto the bed. Licking his lips, Midorima made contact with his lover's lips again. Takao wrapped his arms around Midorima's neck and deepened their kiss.

"I love you, Takao." Midorima whispered softly in Takao's ear and embraced the black haired male tightly.

"I love you too, Shin-chan." Takao said softly in Midorima's ear, kissing the side his green head.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ It was hard to think of a way to make them meet again, but I hope this was fitting! I also added a little Midotaka scene since I couldn't just leave it at the note and bouquet. I hope you like it :D Thank you for reading and all the kudos 3_


	3. Chapter 3 - Namikawa Restaurant

It had already been a week – more than a week – since Akashi has cancelled out on his dinner with the bluenette. He felt guilty. He didn't care that he'd only meet him a few times, Kuroko Tetsuya has already entered his life, and there was no way he'll disappear from the redhead's mind now. Something about the blue haired male intrigued him, although he could pinpoint what exactly it was that pulled him towards him. He just wanted to find a way to apologise to Kuroko and maybe just start off as friends.

"But how? What should I do?" he muttered to himself. He was currently still inside his office, drowning in paperwork, on a _Saturday_ – well, he should be, but he couldn't seem to focus.

The knock resounding from the other side of the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He called the person inside, and watched as Midorima walked inside, with more paperwork in his hand. When will this end? He pleaded to no one in particular.

"What is it, Shintarou? _Another_ file you need me to sign?" he sighed exasperatedly. Don't get him wrong, he didn't really mind doing paperwork. It was just that, there was a limit to how much he could do in a day – and this was it.

"You seem tired," the green haired male noted.

"That's because I _am_. The paperwork for this project is taking rather long to finish." He remarked, rubbing his neck to soothe the ache that was starting to appear from hunching over files so much.

"Well, this is our largest project, so it's a given, there are lot factors that we need to consider," Midorima argued in a matter-of-fact tone, pushing his glasses up with his bandaged fingers like he always did.

"Is this the last one?" the redhead questioned. He really just wanted to go home now really. It was a Saturday, for crying out loud. He was losing valuable time that he could spend with Ayato. How long had it been since they've gone out now? The sense of guilt only increased as he thought about his son. He'd been neglecting the younger too often than not, and he hated it. He hated turning down his son's offer to spend even a little time with him. Work always found its way to prevent him. He just wished there was some way he could find the time to spend time with Ayato and still manage his increasing workload.

"Akashi," he looked up at the green haired male.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" he asked, biting back a curse for becoming distracted.

"This is the last one, this is to guarantee the health and safety of the workers," Midorima handed over the clear filed over the redhead, who scanned through the contents. It was all the same, but a necessary procedure. He quickly signed his initials at the bottom and hand the file back to Midorima. "Then, I'll take my leave." He bowed and walked back to exit.

He glanced at his wristwatch and noted that it was already 2 o'clock. Determined to complete everything, he hunched over the half completed paperwork and let his hands work away.

* * *

"Kurokocchi, where should I put these Cin-Sanq-Cinqu-ah! Just where do I place these?" Kuroko laughed at the blonde's frustration at failing to pronounce the name.

"It's called _cinquefoil_, Kise-kun. And you can just place the at the top shelf of the display," the bluenette instructed the taller male. Kise nodded and reached out to position the yellow flowers above the _anthurium_.

"Why can't they just call it a buttercup, it looks like one anyway," Kise grunted in annoyance. He didn't understand why there had to be such complicated names for so many flowers.

"Because this is a buttercup," he remarked, holding out a buttercup in his palm as he showed it to the blonde.

"They're the same," the blonde stated, deadpan.

"They're different, Kise-kun. They have different meanings behind them," Kuroko argued. "A buttercup means childishness, and a cinquefoil means beloved child."

"They practically mean the same thing, Kurokocchi," the blonde whined, though a smile was tugging at the corner of his lips.

"They're different," Kuroko persisted.

"Why are we arguing about flowers?" the blonde asked, chuckling, finding the situation ridiculous.

"They're different," he repeated.

"Okay, alright, if Kurokocchi believes that they're different, then they must be different," Kise agreed, shaking his head.

"I don't believe they're different, I know, Kise-kun," he could even go on to explain further if the blonde didn't trust his words. He'd researched about the two flowers and was certain.

"Alright! I believe you, Kurokocchi," the blonde surrendered, not wanting to continue further, because wow, the blue haired male could get quite defensive when it came to flowers. It was funny to be honest; it was just a _flower_. Though he guessed he couldn't really comment on it since he didn't know much about the shorter male anyway. This had probably been the first time he'd seen the bluenette so defensive about something, or show more emotion, though he still somehow managed it with an almost blank expression.

"Good," with that, he returned to the cashier, deciding to count the money inside. And just in time; the ring of the bell alerted them of a new customer. "Hello. What would you like today?" He enquired without looking up.

"How about that dinner we never got the chance to have?" A familiar voice suggested. Kuroko's head snapped up to meet the heterochromatic eyes of Akashi Seijuurou. The redhead smiled apologetically.

"Akashi-san," was all he could breathe out. He hadn't seen the redhead for how long now? More than week, probably. He kind of missed him, though he wouldn't admit it aloud. He noticed there were fainted dark circles under his eyes now, immediately causing him to frown. Had he been not sleeping well?

"I apologise for cancelling again," the redhead stated, holding out a yellow rose to him. "I realised I slightly rushed into things, so I thought we could start as friends? If that's alright with you," he finished, smiling faintly. Kuroko's eyes widened as he looked at the male in front of him. He smiled back, feeling his face flush as he took the rose. Did he know floriography?

"I'd like that," he simply answered back. That what he'd been wanting to ask from the heterochromatic male but he'd never been good at being social so he never really tried to contact him about it. But he was glad.

"I'm pleased to hear that. But, I still want to invite you to dinner," Kuroko could sense the tone of question at the end of the sentence. He couldn't find it in himself to refuse, so he nodded. Although the idea of dinner sounded a lot like a date, he was going to choose to dismiss the thought for the moment, because he wanted to know more about Akashi Seijuurou. And maybe this dinner was just the answer.

When only silence filled the small florist, he turned his attention back to Akashi. Confused, he tilted his head in question. Did he want to ask him something else?

"This is awfully abrupt, but, do you want to have dinner with myself and Ayato, tonight?" Akashi asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Tonight?" he asked, because this was sudden.

"Yes, it's alright if you refuse, I'd understand, but it's just that I'll be quite preoccupied with the company project and I won't be able to see you for at least 1-2 more weeks," he explained, noticing the raised eyebrow Kuroko directed at him.

_See you_.

Akashi wanted to see him? He couldn't help but burn up hearing that come out from the redhead's lips. Had he even realised what he'd said just now?

"Ah, wait. I mean-," he guessed Akashi realised.

"Alright," he answered, chuckling lightly at the slightly flustered redhead. He didn't think he was the type to get flustered. There were more to Akashi than he knew. And he wanted to know. He wondered what other sides Akashi had to him.

Maybe he'd find out soon.

* * *

**A/N:**_ okay, idk what happened with the formatting, but hopefully it's better now -.-_


	4. Chapter 4 - Kise Ryouta

When Kuroko finally got back to the shop, he found Iori-san arguing with a tall, blonde male. Iori noticed that the bluenette was back and spoke up.

"Ah, Kuroko-kun. You're back. Did the delivery go well?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes, it did. But..." Kuroko glanced at the blonde with a questioning look. "...who is this, Iori-san?"

"This is Kise-kun. He says he wants to work here. I don't know why, but he's very persistent." Iori-san laughed lightly.

"Well, I guess we could use the extra hand around here. I'm sure it's no harm if we let him work here. We could be able to attract more customers this way too, especially female customers. Since Kise-kun is handsome." Kuroko stated as a matter of fact.

Iori sighed and glanced towards Kise, who had a pleading look on his face, and the back at Kuroko. "I guess you're right. It could be good for business." She turned her attention to Kise again. "You can start working here from Monday; we'll be closing soon today and we're closed on Sundays." The brown haired florist instructed him.

"Please take care of me." Kise beamed excitedly as he bowed a full 90°.

"Yes, yes." Iori replied, chuckling. "Well, I think it's time we start closing the store."

"I'll close it before I leave. You can go ahead and leave first, Iori-san." Kuroko said smiling faintly.

"I'll leave it to you then. Thank you, Kuroko-kun. Take care." With that, Iori-san headed to the back of the store, leaving Kise and Kuroko alone.

"Thank you so much, Kurokocchi! I won't let you down! Please take care of me!" The blonde said, tightly grasping Kuroko's hands and shaking them.

_'-cchi?'_ Kuroko thought, confused by the new nickname he had gained from the blonde. He shook his thoughts aside though as he was beginning lose feeling in his hands with Kise's killer grip.

"Ano, Kise-kun, do you think you could let go of my hands now?" Kise noticed how white the bluenette's hands had become and quickly released his grip on them.

"Ahhh, sorry, Kurokocchi! Hehe..." The blonde male replied, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Anyway, are you sure there's nothing I can do to help right now?" He asked, hopeful.

When Kuroko nodded, he sighed. "Okay then, I'll see you on Monday. Bye bye!" He waved as he exited the store.

Kuroko wondered as to why Kise would want to work at a small florist, when he could easily pass as a super model. He subsided those thoughts though, believing it to be pointless in thinking too much of it. He walked to the door and turned the sign so that it said "Closed" and headed to the back of the store as well, to grab his belongings.

* * *

"I'm home." The red haired male said as he entered the household.

"Welcome back, Sei-chan. How was the meeting?" Momoi asked as she stood up from the sofa.

"It went well, just as I planned it would be. We're set to start the renovation the week after next." The heterochromatic male answered. He looked around the lounge and noticed there was no sign of the younger red head or his friend.

"If you're wondering about Ayato and Ritsu, Ayato is asleep in his bedroom and Ritsu went home already. They moved around a lot today." The pink haired female stated as she chuckled.

"That's good to hear." The red head said chuckling as well.

It was then that Momoi noticed something different about Akashi. He appeared to be in a really good mood. Something else must have happened when he was still out for his meeting.

"Er...Sei-chan? Did something else good happen as well? You know, other than the renovation that is." Momoi inquired, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Akashi looked surprised at the sudden question. He then smiled; Momoi had always been observant.

"Possibly, but I will tell you later." Momoi was taken aback slightly, she wondered what happened that made him give her that genuine smile. She'd have to wait though, and trust that Akashi will reveal it to her soon enough.

"Okay. You better tell me though! It's a promise, Sei-chan!" Momoi stressed. "Anyway, I'm gonna go home now. It was good to see you and Ayato again!" Momoi said before heading towards the front door of the house.

"Satsuki, why don't you stay for dinner?" Akashi asked, wanting to thank her.

"Ah, sorry, I can't today Sei-chan. I've got quite a bit of paperwork to finish at home. Maybe another time!"

"Oh no, it's alright. Sorry for asking you to come today, when you had so much to do. I gave Tanaka-san a day off today, so I had no one else to turn to." Akashi looked at her apologetically.

"Don't worry about it! Tanaka-san deserves a break once in a while. Plus, I'm always up for helping Sei-chan." She replied beaming.

"Thank you. Take care on your way home."

"Bye bye!" With that, she left the Akashi household.

"Daddy?" A small voice called from behind him. It was Ayato. Once he was in arms reach, Akashi lifted the younger red head up in his arms and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Did you have fun today with Ritsu and Satsuki?" The older red head asked, smiling.

"Yes! Sa-chan took us to the park, and then after that she even gave us ice cream! You should've come with us, Daddy! It was so much fun." Ayato said a little too fast due his excitement.

"I'm glad that you got to go in the end. I'm sorry that I couldn't go with you today, but I promise I will make up for it, okay?" Akashi ensured.

"It's okay, I know that Daddy has a big project coming up so you'd be busy with that for a while. Gambatte!" Ayato smiled, returning the kiss Akashi gave him.

"Anyway, it's almost time to eat. What do you want to have for dinner today?"

"Rose pasta! Rose pasta!" Ayato chanted excitedly.

"Okay, Ayato's favourite, rose pasta it is. Will you help daddy make it?" Ayato just nodded at that. "Alright, let's go to the kitchen then, shall we?"

"Mm!"

* * *

Kuroko opened the door to his apartment and took off his shoes. He placed hid keys on the table top near the doorway and stepped further into his home. Only to find the kitchen occupied by a tall red haired male.

"Kagami-kun, I thought you said you'd be late." The bluenette said surprised.

"Yeah, well, I managed to finish early with Kiyoshi-senpai's help." Kagami answered, scratching the back of his head. "More importantly, Kuroko, why do you have hardly any food in your house? I had to go out to get more. Are you even eating properly whilst I'm not here?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Kuroko.

"I am. I just don't eat as much as you do, Kagami-kun." Kuroko remarked.

"So in other words, all you've had today is the apple from this morning." Kagami sighed. His best friend had always been like this; eating so little, making other things his priority. "Sit down, I've made rice and curry." Kagami commanded.

Kuroko complied and sat down on the sofa, grabbing the remote control. He switched it on and flicked through the channels, finding nothing interesting.

Just then, Kagami entered the room with two plates in his hands. He placed them on the table and seated down on the sofa, next to Kuroko. They both started to dig into their food as they watched TV.

"This is really delicious, Kagami-kun." Kuroko commented, smiling.

"Okay, spit it out. What happened? Is it something related to that Akashi guy you told me about?" Kagami asked, noticing how the bluenette's smile seemed brighter than usual. Seeing as how Kuroko's eyes widened at the mention of Akashi, he guessed it must be about him.

Kuroko decided to tell everything that happened at the restaurant to Kagami, seeing no point in hiding it from the red head as he would find out either way.

"Wow that was quick. Way to go, Kuroko!" Kagami praised him, slapping his back. Kuroko rubbed his back in response, feeling pain. "So, when do you plan to message him?" He asked, smiling widely.

"Eh? Erm...I haven't really thought about that actually." Kuroko answered quietly.

"So that basically means never." Kagami sighed, the bluenette had always been hopeless in these kind of situations. Then, an idea hit; a great idea. "Hey, Kuroko, can I borrow your phone for a second?"

"Sure. Is it something about work?" Kuroko questioned, reaching for his back pocket and passing his phone over.

"Yeah..." The red head replied, concentrating on searching for a certain contact. After a few seconds of scrolling he found it. The contact named "Akashi-kun". He smirked as he tapped on the phone icon next to the contact name. He placed the phone to his ear and waited for a response. It was only after two rings that there was response.

"Hello? ...Kuroko-kun? This is a surprise. What is it?" Akashi said, though it was hard to tell if he was indeed surprised as his voice was quite calm.

"Hello, this is Kuroko's friend, Kagami. This is Akashi, right?"

"Yes. What business do you have with me?" Kagami could almost hear the disappointment, maybe even a little annoyance in Akashi's voice for the fact that he wasn't Kuroko.

"Since Kuroko is too scared to ask you, I'll ask you. Ar-"

"Kagami-kun! What are you doing? Give it back!" Akashi heard Kuroko shout, he seemed to be struggling to get his phone back from his friend.

"Fine, then you ask him." Kagami put the phone to the bluenette's ear.

"H-hello? Akashi-kun, I'm so sorry about Kagami-kun." Kuroko apologised.

"It's alright. Now, what is it that you want to ask me?" Akashi asked.

"Erm...I..." Kuroko glanced at the Kagami. The red head waved his hands as if trying to say 'Just ask him out already!'. "Are you free this coming Tuesday?" He asked. When he didn't hear a response, he frowned a little. Of course, he wouldn't be; he was probably busy.

"Are you asking me on a date, Kuroko-kun?" Akashi asked, surprise hinted in his question.

"Ano, it's okay if you're not, you must he busy. Forget I as-" Kuroko spoke a little too hastily.

"Yes."

"Eh?" Kuroko was confused.

"Yes, I'll go on a date with you. However, is it alright if Ayato joins us as well?"

"It's fine with me." Kuroko smiled, he felt sort of relieved; maybe with Ayato present, he won't feel so nervous.

"Where do you want to meet then?" The heterochromatic male asked.

"Oh, I-um, actually didn't think about that..." Kuroko answered, chuckling nervously.

"Well, if you don't mind, would like to have dinner at my house?" He said chuckling at Kuroko's stuttering.

"Yes! Yes! He'll be there!" Kagami yelled through the phone.

"Alright. It's decided then. The driver will come pick you up from your house. Just text me your address." Kuroko was surprised how calm Akashi was even though he had called just called him at his house.

"O-okay. I'll see you then."

"We will. Goodnight." You could almost hear the smile through the call, it was strange.

"Um, yes, goodnight." Kuroko replied, a tint of red displaying on his cheeks. He then disconnected the phone, turning to the taller red head.

"You're welcome!" Kagami had the nerve to laugh at this.

"Kagami-kun, why did you do that?"

"I had to. Otherwise you would've done nothing." Kagami remarked. Kuroko knew he was probably right, he wasn't one to initiate conversation with others, especially if it was on the topic of dating. "Didn't it all work out fine though? He even invited you to his house! Cheer up, Kuroko! If you want, I'll help you out, I've got a week off anyway." Kagami suggested, cheerfully patting Kuroko on the back again.

"Kagami-kun, that hurts." The bluenette complained, rubbing his back trying to soothe the pain.

"Sorry, sorry." Kagami laughed nervously. He took the plates back to the kitchen and washed them, though Kuroko insisted on helping.

Once they had finished cleaning up, they both walked towards the door.

"I'll see you again later! Ja." Kagami held out his fist, Kuroko did the same as they bumped their fists like they always did. "Don't be so nervous about the date. It will be fine. I'm sure of it." The red haired male reassured Kuroko, seeing the anxious expression plastered on his face. Kuroko smiled faintly in response. He decided he was going to trust his best friend and hope for the best.

* * *

**A/N:** _If there are any grammatical errors, I'm sorry. Please tell me what you guys think of how it's going ;w; it will mean a lot_


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